Elise Rocks and Eric Korman

00:01 My name is Elise rocks. I am 57 years old. Today is Thursday, September 9th, 2021. We're recording and Wilmington, North Carolina. I'm here with Eric Korman, my husband.

00:18 And my name is Eric Korman, and I'm age 53. And today is the same date as my wife. Just said, Thursday, September 9th, 2021, and we live in Wilmington, North Carolina.

00:34 And Elise rocks is my wife.

00:40 And who I am talking to today?

00:43 Hey, honey.

00:48 Since I would be fun for us to sit and talk a little bit about ourselves and our life together.

00:57 Cool. I think this might be fun to hope. It will be.

01:05 I'm looking forward to this interview.

01:11 So I'm going to ask you a question about when and where you were born and I got here about twenty four years later in between we lived in Nashville, Tennessee, to Spartanburg, South Carolina, which is where I spend most of my school years, but probably the Highlight was when I got a job transfer to work on a project in Germany.

01:51 For a couple years. So we were over in Frankfurt Germany and I was 10 and 11. So I was in the fourth and fifth grade.

02:01 And we lived in a tiny little village up in the mountains about four blocks high, and ten bucks wide, and had a little butcher shop and a bakery in a sundry, stop and ice cream counter. So, where you at? And I went to Frankfurt international school. So is really nice cuz there was kids from all over the world.

02:26 And,

02:29 It was just a really great experience of a kind of a Melting Pot and very different from my

02:36 Life in the South both before and coming home to

02:41 More of a monoculture. So I really, really enjoy the time that we had in Frankfurt, but the traveling but just a particularly a different kind of school environment.

02:54 So,

02:56 What did you like to do as a kid?

03:02 I like to read, I like to write poetry always like to write.

03:10 When we were course, we are going up. All we did was like hangout on out in the neighborhood climbing trees and

03:20 I got like to be outdoors a lot.

03:26 Sure.

03:28 Thank you.

03:38 So what about you tell me about where you grew up.

03:41 Where were you born? I was born in Radford, Virginia. And then my dad was in Virginia Tech school and

03:51 So, my parents are relatively young cuz they were in their twenties. When I was born. I remember growing up in Richmond. Virginia up to the third grade. I used to ride bikes with my friends at

04:09 And try to jump them with don't jumps and Daredevil, kind of stuff. Got into a lot of bruises and cuts and went to the hospital a few times and I never broke a bone third-grade. I moved to West Virginia with my parents and

04:32 Hung out in the woods a lot and fished in the creek behind the house and built tree for its and

04:39 Went to Sacred Heart and

04:45 Charleston Catholic, and

04:49 Road crew and Kate Finn and Canal state of the canal River.

04:55 Help man, ran track and played football and Richmond when I was a kid, lifted weights. And

05:07 Then why did I do we move to?

05:11 Wentz went to Elon college for a year and didn't like college. So I left and went to Hatteras and pack fish and built houses.

05:23 And,

05:26 The, how old were you in your move to but when you move to Wilmington, but there's a kid my grandparents brought me to Wilmington for a month out of the year. So in the summer.

05:44 Right after school.

05:47 We would spend two weeks and went in Wrightsville Beach and then two weeks before school started. I would spend two weeks in Wrightsville Beach and we would boat and swim and fish. And

06:05 Town was a lot smaller than they were right next door to our good friends, herb and Catherine. My Kim. We probably spent some.

06:17 Lights on at the flotilla on neighboring, docks before we knew each other.

06:27 That's right. And

06:31 Then my dad bought a hardware store and I've been working there since 1990.

06:40 Now, I'm running it for the most part.

06:45 Doing a great job.

06:48 So when did and then, when did you buy the house? Think that was 1996. Bought a house off of the beach and the house movers just moved it just to Seagate and put it back together into pieces that came over the drawbridge.

07:09 And I spent standing on the porch at the hardware store watching it Go by

07:18 And we've been fixing it up ever since still fixing it up.

07:27 Yep, does a great house wrap around porch all the way around little higher than most houses in the air but not a lot when you plan it, all these trees around a lot, playing it all the Cedars and Leyland cypress to give us privacy.

07:48 For the neighbor's garage and the land underneath it. And so now we have a little bit more than a half acre.

07:56 Then we redid the kitchen cut down the cedar tree from the yard.

08:10 Yep, I think we're both functional artists.

08:15 Yes.

08:17 So my earliest recollections,

08:20 Coming into the hardware store, having you meet help me out on projects. I'm working on the light fixture. That's currently over our kitchen island. Those red lights that

08:38 Pendant lights at Kelsey. No brought back from our trip to Italy when he was playing soccer.

08:43 You're beautiful and I wanted to make it into a light fixture and came in and you help me design the copper pipes and the wiring to make it into a light fixture for the first time, then I'll never forget that cuz I think we are working on some Plumbing, too. And I said, old timey, Eric at the hardware store and he said, you know much about Plumbing.

09:17 You're the go-to man at the hardware store. That's right.

09:21 But yeah, so long before we ever dated. My dad was very impressed with you. Do you like to from the get-go?

09:29 How long do you think it will see? How far back? Do you remember me coming into the store?

09:36 All I know is it's probably been a, I believe, 30 plus years 32 years, something like that. And I was always drawn to you helping you with your projects. I remember I had something downtown. I hadn't seen you for a while. I've been to the store in a while and I came back in after a couple years. And you said, hey, at least I remember

10:12 Now that I know you don't remember anybody's name. It's even more impressive.

10:24 So finally I moved on the house boat.

10:29 Yes, and I was what year was at?

10:34 2011, I moved to the house boat, Kelsey, who my son is going off to college? And always wanted to live down.

10:43 At the marina and a house boat, and so,

10:49 It was finally no more. Single mom, no more thinking about everybody else first. It was time for me to just do what I wanted to do. And so I moved on the boat, started coming in to the hardware store doing well, projects, building that bench that we still have that. I put on the back deck of the house boat. You start asking if you could come over and help. You were just being nice. I didn't know you really meant it.

11:28 Glad I finally came in Monday. You were off and I talked to DJ and it's like we're having a Memorial Day party. You need to come by. This time is 2013.

11:40 Memorial Day weekend.

11:43 And he forgot to tell you.

11:46 Yes, there's after I've already driven the boat over to your house and missed you by chance.

11:54 But Memorial Day 2013, you did show up, but I was on my other boat. I'd already bought the Holiday Mansion by that time. I had it parked next to the house boat.

12:04 I was working on the Holiday Mansion and you stop by and left me a sweet note that I still have when you called me and wants to come back and I did not Atkins Watching The Sunset over the creek. That's right.

12:26 Talk about our first date.

12:30 That would might be the camping trip invited you to the farm. My dad's Farm, which is

12:41 Game, Preserve more than it is a working farm. And my brother been brought a lot of friends from Raleigh and made a made up a couple tents one for you, one for me and set up a kitchen and the trailer and invited you and

13:06 You were probably coming from Elizabethtown. Maybe cuz you had a job as a real estate going to be on your Thursday that you spend at the farm. And so I decided to come check it out cuz I kept telling my friends like, okay first date. He's invited me to a farm for a weekend. It's either going to be great. That's going to be up. So I got to come by the farm, and check it out. See what I was getting into and you drove me around the farm. Didn't want me to leave and I'm at work.

13:44 But we saw this pigs running across the field and that's when I asked you, if

13:50 You ever killed any pegs? And you said, yes, and I said, well who butchers them for you?

13:59 You said you did and it got me all hot and bothered. Before we came to the farm. You came and visit me on the house boat and go for a swim and hang out. And

14:19 So by the time we went on our first date, we were actually getting pretty close already. But I remember you said don't worry. I'll have everything you need. Just come to the farm. All you have to do is bring yourself and I'm so used to being independent and I brought all the things that I might need just in case and it all stayed in the car cuz you had it all. He had a kitchen setup. You had a place to eat and hang out and go through bed over the weekend.

15:02 And then we got married proposed.

15:16 Let's talk about this or that it started at the lake in, Alabama.

15:22 Now, my mom and dad Gorton, we spent our summers at the lake. You came down here to the beach. We go to Lake, Martin, Alabama.

15:30 And that's where my mom and dad first corded at my grandfather's lake house, which had since been sold, but we went home. I think for

15:40 My dad's mom's my grandmother's, 100th, birthday celebration. We were all in Birmingham.

15:48 My brother and his family. And so I'll generate Elsie and my mom and dad and

15:57 So, we all went to the lake house. We

16:01 Rent a pontoon boat and drove over and take a look and the swing. That was where my folks corded. What was it exact swing? Because my dad is convinced the owner to let them replace the swing they quartered in. So he made an exact replica and a wrought iron loveseat and went down and switched it out. So that the swing my dad made was still sitting in the yard at the lake house.

16:36 To Mom and Dad's house. And they were getting rid of some Wrought, Iron furniture. That look very similar. If not almost identical to the one that was at Lake Martin and he said will you take any of this stuff and take it home? And I said, I'll take this and then not just only just take the one item and took a couple other items that didn't look like we could use, but got him out of his hair.

17:10 So that was good. And then I had to bring it home and cut it up and weld it together and attach the chain and I got DJ fell off from work to help me with that. And cuz I wasn't welding at the time, and then painted it all up and got it prepared and

17:31 Presented to you get it to me for early, Christmas present. All the family was over on Christmas Day.

17:41 You were riding around on the motorbike from anybody cuz I was going to take your picture and then next thing I know you came riding a motorbike and got down on one knee that moment.

18:07 Still happy. Very, very

18:12 Propose to you, and then we got married at Good Shepherd. Episcopal Church.

18:20 Stained glass window in our honor and of course before we got married. I remember, I'll never forget, sit down with you that night too, honey, honey. I got something important. I need to talk to you about what I said. I don't think I can taste my name. I got to keep Elise rocks and for business and cuz it's so cool. And you didn't skip a beat. You said, we will just take each other's last names as our middle names goes, right? So in spirit and on the same glass window, it's at least Korman rocks and Eric Korman. You always have good Solutions, two things.

19:02 Thank you. Don't always, but it had a great wedding. That was October 21st 2017.

19:15 I still think of us as newlyweds.

19:18 We are we've got even though we've known each other for possibly thirty years, although once I moved in with you, we discovered, we may have met each other a long time ago without even realizing it was the same people when I moved in. You said you saw a picture of me that I put in the bathroom that I was wearing roller skates and my great blue heron outfit, tassels behind you. And you are roller skating down the road and you look so

19:52 Wonderful and interesting and I had to roll down the window and yell out. Will you marry me?

20:02 I said ask me again later because I didn't know this crazy man was running down the street and I was

20:14 Still trying to figure my life out, but that was probably 20 15 years before.

20:22 Maybe, at least I know that would have been.

20:26 What hadn't been though?

20:30 Late 90s might have been the late 90s. I was definitely though. I remember.

20:36 You and hardware store.

20:39 Before that. But you didn't realize that woman in that crazy outfit was the same person that came in the store, but I was always drawn to you. So you are so soft. When you saw that picture course, you're so patient. When you had the what you asked me just said, is that you on those skates? And I said, yep, and you didn't say anything for a long time. It was still pretty early even though we were living together. It was still very early in our relationship. You didn't say anything for the longest time. And finally,

21:12 I think, finally, maybe six months later. I said, why did you ask me about the roller skating picture?

21:18 And you reminded me of seeing me on the street and your mom was giving you a hard time about you. Should you need to get out date somebody and

21:25 You said that's her right there? That's the woman. I'm going to marry.

21:31 So,

21:33 But then my mom told everybody at the family reunions. Before I tell it's a whole family and somebody brought it up and I was so embarrassed cuz it was our little private thing.

21:46 Knowing their first and you are embarrassing and you're so sweet. I didn't want you to be embarrassed and you weren't

21:54 Sweet on you.

21:57 So,

22:03 We went to.

22:05 We took some good trips.

22:08 We have had some excellent trip. Has been some of your favorites, like one of my favorites was Fontana Lake. If you'd rather go stay in the B Airbnb, your stay on the house boat until the lake birthday celebration, but it really felt like

22:32 A belated honeymoon since we chose to spend our honeymoon, having a beach house with all our friends and family. Actual when we got married having to the lake. We had to go down Steep Hill that was gravel and

22:51 We were wondering if we should do that at all or

22:57 We decided that we could.

23:00 Safely put the boat in the Lake, Mary, timidly approached and got everything loaded into the boat and include and then

23:14 We started towards the lake house and it started to rain, but it was still pretty warm. And we saw Double Rainbows across the lake, like the whole Rainbow by sides.

23:31 Yes, it is.

23:33 Sitting on a rainbow we got to see every Creek and Lake travel and taking the boat up to all the tributaries and till we motor, hit bottom and saw the black bear and swimming in lake. Lots of bald eagles.

23:53 That's when you first broke out the red, a hot tub that big fiberglass thing from the show and you're like this probably two or three years before between when you bought it and when you decided it was time to unveil it at your house boat. And how did you make it work? Fish cooker that ran on propane and or wrapped a bunch of copper around in a circle like 30, or 40 ft and flare, the ends of the copper and put it above the fish cooker inside of a stainless bucket, and hook it up to a small hose. It was connected to a bilge pump.

24:41 And cut it on and the bilge pump pump. The water into the tub and as it went through the fish curb, the copper coil and heat it up, and water came up into the

24:55 Tote or trough and came out really hot, which was a house.

25:11 We had so much stuff. We had dinner, Raiders solar panels where we could have stayed a month or only stayed for two weeks from now, but we got to see the railroad got to antique fan antique store.

25:38 Anna.

25:40 And then we went to Vegas. That's right. Or Van Morrison, Blue Moon, full moon, Blue, Moon total eclipse of the moon. When we got the ride ATVs. We didn't gamble. We did not win.

26:12 So in Vegas, we did see the total eclipse of the moon.

26:18 And we did.

26:21 NC Van Morrison, that was one of my bucket list.

26:30 Let me check.

26:33 Cousins to Kerr Lake, family reunions real fast. I was going to go cuz

26:50 I remember that day was like a Monday and we were going to lunch.

26:55 And I was supposed to go back to work. You were supposed to go back to work. You said, honey. I think we need to go by the camper right now. So, where is it? You said Oak Island? Like, okay. So we went over the bank, got some cast of Doug. I'll inject it out, got our happy camper. And when is in the windows, big door, big open windows. And when we

27:26 The first one, and all of a sudden, I remember, I go in and look at my, my New Year's vision board for the for that year. And I looked at it and you'd picked out a camper was exactly what was on my vision board is like that. And you said, yeah. I know. They are listen to friends play music now, I got it.

28:00 Spend last couple nights out there about a week ago, like to go hang out on the boat on the creek, Masonboro.

28:17 Yeah, and we like to go to Masonboro and take friends and camp for a night and come back and I by Tamia.

28:25 And that little. Now I got my Red Canoe. You just bought a new canoe, but I've Got My Little Red Canoe that I've had in. Kelsey was like five. I member the hardware store was still over and Plaza East and the Outfitter was located next door to you. They're having a big ol Labor Day sale in the parking lot.

28:47 Remember you helping me pick out everything I needed for my little Red. Canoe. Fix it when it broke it for me for Christmas again this year, so it's still going strong after.

29:00 Going to be almost 30 years old.

29:20 So do you want to tell me what you love about me?

29:30 There's so many things.

29:34 You're kind of person of ever met. Absolutely the kindest person I've ever met.

29:41 And you're the most dedicated and committed.

29:46 The fact that you love me completely unconditionally.

29:54 And now I me but everything. I love you. Love my family, you love my church.

29:59 The friends you would do anything for any of us.

30:05 Wood.

30:07 I think part of why it took me so long to give in and let you ask me out. Was that I

30:14 Just trying to get over so much hurt. And even when I finally gave in I was still working through struggling through a lot.

30:21 Now, the first year was

30:24 Not so easy on you and everything in my power to try to push you away, or see if I can.

30:31 Make you get scared and run and no matter what I threw at you. You said, you know, you just kept right by my side no matter what. And I think.

30:44 Finally.

30:46 Monday. I just looked at you and I said you don't love me. No matter. What aren't you? I love you. You complete me. What? I'm not good at your grade up and

30:57 We're such a good team.

31:02 Excited to come home every evening.

31:05 Give me a big hug.

31:09 Swayze in our future.

31:11 No, I see you. More of the same.

31:15 I wish it was us getting younger.

31:21 To a point but no see family and friends in our life and you and our life in us growing old together and being happy and taken care of.

31:35 People in our community Through the store.

31:38 Hardware store when he's days, I'll give up appraising and spend more time with you at the Harbor Resort.

31:49 I mean, ice highlight of my week is going in the store on Saturdays and helping you help others. Definitely the highlight of my week to, having you there beside me.

32:07 Well, maybe boat Night trumpet, just a little bit.

32:13 Yep.

32:18 So there's any one thing you could ask me to do for you. What would it be?

32:26 Keep doing. What you doing.

32:30 That's the plan B working.

32:37 That's her logo song on Billboard of photographs in our bedroom.

32:46 Engraved on your wedding ring. Shatters the Shadows, hit it in the morning.

32:53 Create.

32:56 Smile for me every morning when I look at it.

33:00 Me too. I love the pictures of all the places we've been and things we've done.

33:08 Morning times, one of my favorite times.

33:13 But it's kind of like you have to Tracy stayed with us for a little while and

33:21 She said, you know, I just really love it. When the hear you guys talk in the morning. Y'all always talking and laughing. It's so wonderful. And until she said something about it and didn't realize how special does that one little thing was and now I treasure it even more.

33:40 Because she noticed how sweet it was.

33:45 Tracy's friend from church.

33:49 And you've been friends with her quite some time.

33:59 So, that's all I want to do, is wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life and laugh.

34:05 Right back at you. That's what I want to do.

34:09 Love you, honey. I love you.

34:11 We're such lucky people.

34:14 We're lucky. We chose each other.

34:23 I'm so glad.

34:25 Me too.